Researching the Creative City
REDDITCH
Town
Redditch History
• Nicknamed ‘The Ditch’• People’s perception of Redditch;
- many roundabouts- very green- quiet- ‘chavvy’
• Population of approximately 84,471• Emerged as New Town during 1960s• Redditch was responsible for the production of 90% of the
world's needles
Forge Mill Needle Museum
“Urban space is also a ‘place’, and a place expresses an identity through signifiers of
memory, historicity, tradition; it only does this effectively mediated by innovative design”
(Vickery, 2004: 46).
Vickery, J (2004). The Emergence of Culture-led Regeneration: A Policy Concept and Its Discontents.
… innovative design“a legible city would be one whose districts or landmarks or pathways are easily
identifiable and are easily grouped into an over-all pattern” (Lynch, 1959: 3).
Lynch, K (1959). The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Represents needle and thread
The key ingredient for a creative class is human capital.
The Three ‘T’s
Florida, R (2004). The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. London: Basic Books.
TALENTEDUCATION
Heart of Worcestershire (HoW) CollegeFirst School/ Middle School /High School
ART AND CULTUREPalace Theatre
Redditch Youth & Community EnterpriseArrow Valley Country Park
LEISUREKingfisher Shopping Centre
CinemaGym
POPULAR CULTUREHarry Styles was born at the Alexandra Hospital
Freddie Starr lives in Mappleborough Green, just outside RedditchTony Martin singer, Black Sabbath frontman
TECHNOLOGY• ‘Redditch Community’ Facebook page
TOLERANCE• Creation of The Hub; Redditch’s new dining and leisure
experience 2015
• More passenger trains to run between Redditch and Lichfield
• Redditch's Threadneedle House sold by council for 82 bedroom residential development
Conclusion• Redditch implements cultural policy as a plan of
action/strategy• Focus on cultural industry as a supplier of non-
economic outputs;- Establishing the town’s geographical place as
a quiet town with close connections and collaboration with the bigger city of Birmingham
- Maintaining sociality through facilitating leisure ventures eg/ Abbey Stadium, The Hub
- Nurturing history by creating historical monuments across the town.
This also contributes to economic production by boosting the town’s commercial performance
Holocaust Memorial, Church Green
War Memorial
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